A surge in Covid-19 cases and deaths has prompted two of Europe’s biggest economies to reinstate national lockdown measures.
In France, people will only be allowed to leave home for essential work or medical reasons from today. Under the new rules, people will have to fill in a form to justify leaving their homes. Public services and factories will remain open.
French President Emmanuel Macron said that while the economy ‘must not stop or collapse’, the country risked being ‘overwhelmed by a second wave that no doubt will be harder than the first’.
From Monday, Germany is to close restaurants, bars, gyms and theatres.
The BBC reported that infections were rising sharply across Europe, including in the United Kingdom, which on Wednesday announced 310 new deaths and 24 701 new cases.
In France, Covid daily deaths are at the highest level since April. On Wednesday, 36 437 new cases and 244 deaths were confirmed.
German health officials said yesterday another 89 people had died in the past 24 hours, with a record 16 774 infections.
[Picture: Fran Boloni on Unsplash]